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How To Find Mac App Menubar Shortcuts

You would be surprised how many Mac applications take full use of keyboard shortcuts. You would also be surprised to know that most Mac users don’t use very many of those many keyboard shortcuts. Command-C for copy. Command-V to paste. Command-Q to quit. What else? See the problem? There are many keyboard shortcuts and that makes them difficult to remember.

Not all Mac apps make their shortcuts visible in the Menubar menu selections. If you truly want to improve your workflow and productivity, then keyboard shortcuts are important. Mac power users use the keyboard and seldom touch the mouse or trackpad. To be a Mac power user you need to use the keyboard more and most of us that means a cheat sheet. Here it is.

Cue The KeyCue

Most of us know the basic Command-key shortcuts on the Mac. We use them for copy, paste, quit, print, and– that’s about it. KeyCue is a cheat sheet for the Mac which displays all the menu shortcut commands with a simple click to the Command key itself. How many keyboard shortcuts exist on the Mac? macOS Sierra has its own list, of course, but each Mac app also has dozens of keyboard shortcuts that usually are ignored.

Here’s the KeyCue cheat sheet.

Open KeyCue with a click-and-hold to the Command key. That gives you a pop up screen which displays the app’s keyboard shortcuts (as well as other frequently used applications). Select the function you want, hit the right keys, and Voila! Done. There’s a simple three-step process to getting keyboard shortcuts into your routine.

First – by displaying the pop-up screen, KeyCue shows you which keyboard shortcuts are available for the app (or any app, plus the Mac’s system and Finder).

Second – simply typing out the keyboard shortcut you need at the moment helps you to practice on those shortcuts most useful to you.

Third – repeating the above steps enables learning, so, over time you may not need the KeyCue pop-up screen for many keyboard shortcuts.

KeyCue’s settings are a bit cumbersome to wade through, but fortunately there’s not much you need to change from default settings although selecting a different cheat sheet theme gives it a bit more personality.

Mac power users all say the same thing. To be fast, efficient, accurate, and productive, keep your hands on the keyboard and away from the trackpad or mouse. KeyCue is what makes you a Mac power user.

Wait. There’s more.

KeyCue integrates will with two popular Mac utilities; PopChar X and Typinator so you’ll be able to view recently used and favorite font characters, and show text snippets and insert them with ease.

KeyCue is the first step on the road to becoming a Mac power user which helps us to use the built-in keyboard shortcuts in nearly every app; just exercise a bit of discipline and keep your hands off the trackpad and mouse. And use KeyCue.

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About Jack Miller

I work for a US technology company in St. Louis, MO, and switched from Windows PCs to the Mac 25 years ago. My wife said it would improve our marriage, give us more friends, and reduce stress. I guess that two out of three isn't bad. Read more of my articles here.